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The phrase “irrelevant to the main topic” can steer a discussion in a more relevant direction or be used aggressively to make someone or their beliefs seem unimportant. Michael Caine’s statement illustrates a sophisticated use of the phrase, comparing the relevance of talent versus discipline and work ethic. The idiom implies a close degree of similarity, and its incorrect use would be commenting on something completely irrelevant. The remark “Let’s get back on track” is often interpreted more positively than “Your argument is off the mark.” Being punctual is relevant, and a well-made point is a reasoned statement.
The sentence next to the dot refers to something that is irrelevant to the main topic. It can be used in a positive way to steer a discussion in a more relevant direction. In a more aggressive setting, the phrase may be applied to a person to make him or his beliefs seem flimsy or unimportant.
This sentence can serve as a form of comparison between two items, arguments and arguments. One is the object of the confrontation; the second is the element similar but not as relevant as the first. The characteristic to compare is relevance.
Michael Caine is quoted as saying, “I will always be there because I am a skilled professional actor. Whether or not I’m talented is irrelevant.” His statement illustrates a sophisticated use of this figure of speech. Here the comparison is between the relevance of talent to its success versus the relevance of discipline and work ethic.
To be irrelevant, the object must simply be missing the subject. As a successful actor, it would seem obvious that Caine must have talent for acting. However, Caine argues that the actor’s continued work is not due to talent but to his discipline and training. The proposition that he has talent is not up for debate. Talent is seen as irrelevant to his work ethic.
An incorrect use of the subtle meaning of the idiom, as Caine used it, would be to comment on something that was completely irrelevant. An example of this is given in the context of discussing the merits of broccoli: Calories burned while riding a bike are surprisingly low is not the point. In this case, the calories burned cycling are off topic. The idiom implies a close degree of similarity which this example does not illustrate.
When one person is arguing with another, noticing that the other person’s argument isn’t relevant is often seen as a negative. The statement can be entirely true and even not offensive when expressed differently. In general, the remark “Let’s get back on track” is often interpreted more positively than “Your argument is off the mark.”
Another variation of this sentence is to note that some positions taken by the speaker are useless. Being punctual, on the other hand, means being relevant. A well-made point is a reasoned statement.
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